


7. “I almost lost you.”

by miraculeuxnoir (redhoodedwolf)



Series: Drabble Challenge [7]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, adrien is so in love it's sickening, aged-up, but the lucky charm saves him, chat is injured by an akuma, ladynoir and ladrien, they've been at this for years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:16:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6979651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redhoodedwolf/pseuds/miraculeuxnoir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chat moves to sit up, but before he can, Marinette tackles him in a hug. He is barely able to catch them both from smacking their heads against the unforgiving ground. He’s still not 100% there.<br/>“I almost lost you,” Marinette breaths, admitting to her fault. “I couldn’t find the Lucky Charm, and I thought--”<br/>“Hey, I’m here, it’s okay,” Chat says, voice soft, fingers curling around like a strong presence on her neck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	7. “I almost lost you.”

**Author's Note:**

> part of a drabble challenge i am doing on tumblr so originally posted there

Marinette can’t find her Lucky Charm.

She can’t find the Lucky Charm, and Chat Noir is lying on the ground in the distance. 

He’s not moving.

The akuma has been purified, the poor victim saved, but the minimal destruction caused has not yet been restored because Marinette can’t find the Lucky Charm.

The object is a small square of glass tinted with a very faded ladybug pattern across it. But the color doesn’t stand out enough for her to find it, wherever it had scattered when it landed on the cobblestone street. 

Marinette doesn’t know what would happen if she detransformed before she could cleanse the city. Would the Lucky Charm still exist? Would it disappear? Would the cleanse happen anyway? 

Thankfully, this akuma was less inclined to go after buildings or civilians. Unfortunately, the akuma was inclined to go after Chat Noir. And it succeeded.

Marinette is torn between continuing the search for the Lucky Charm and going over to see if Chat is okay. If she found the charm, would that make Chat okay again? Would it even do anything to help him? 

She is already almost spread-eagle on the ground, hands splayed as she crawls around searching for the clear sheen of glass. 

Her earring beeps. She has three minutes left.

Finally, finally, after what feels like an eternity of searching with her hands while her eyes are locked on the unmoving form of Chat Noir, she hears a clatter as her hand knocks something against the ground, and she curls her fingers around the Lucky Charm and throws it into the air without even getting to her feet, mumbling, “Lucky Charm,” as she watches Chat.

Even after she feels the rush of a breeze the cleanse brings over the city, Chat doesn’t even twitch.

Her earring beeps again. Two minutes left. 

“Chat!” Marinette shouts as she falls to her knees next to him, moving his body into her lap. She slaps at his cheeks, pries open his eyes, looking for a sign of life. Puffs of breath fan over her cheek as she leans down to make sure he’s still breathing, and she feels herself slump over in relief.

His hand twitches, and Marinette watches as his fingers slowly curl over hers where she’d grasped his hand instinctively.

His lip curves up slightly, and he coughs. “Ow,” he moans, eyelids fluttering.

“Chat,” Marinette breathes, relief and adrenaline flooding through her body like a deadly cocktail. 

Chat squeezes her hand and blinks a few times before focusing on her face. “That was one vengeful akuma,” he says. 

“Well that’s what happens when Chat Noir steals the heart of some guy’s boyfriend,” Marinette tells him, blinking rapidly, trying not to cry.

Chat brings up a hand to cup her cheek. “No one could steal me from you, my lady.”

Chat moves to sit up, but before he can, Marinette tackles him in a hug. He is barely able to catch them both from smacking their heads against the unforgiving ground. He’s still not 100% there.

“ **I almost lost you** ,” Marinette breaths, admitting to her fault. “I couldn’t find the Lucky Charm, and I thought--”

“Hey, I’m here, it’s okay,” Chat says, voice soft, fingers curling around like a strong presence on her neck. 

Another beep. Marinette sniffles and breaks out of them embrace, shuffling backwards. “I have to go.”

Chat cups her cheek, looks like he wants to say something else. Marinette knows what he wants to ask, and she ducks her head to avoid his questioning and pleading gaze.

“Not today, chaton,” is her reply.

“But someday soon, yeah?”

His voice sings of hope. Marinette can’t crush it, she doesn’t have the energy. She’s emotionally drained, and he probably is too. 

“Soon,” she promises, kisses his cheek, and then runs, putting as much distance between them as she can before her time runs out. 

* * *

Adrien watches her go, a hand stretched out towards her instinctively. His other hand cups his cheek, clawed fingers rubbing gently at the warm skin.  

The crowd fans out, no longer interested now that Ladybug has fled the scene. Adrien spots Alya on the sidelines, and she seems torn whether on not to approach him. He gets to his feet, dusts himself off. Alya gets the message, that’s he’s okay, and salutes him with a grin before running off.

Adrien’s ring beeps, and he stares at the lone pad that remains. He steps to the side, ducking behind a large advertisement blocking half of the sidewalk, and when he steps out he is Adrien once again, Plagg sitting on his shoulder, staring at him in concern.

“You alright, kid?”

Adrien runs a hand through his hair and sighs, dejectedly. “That’s the thing, Plagg. We’re not kids anymore. This was fine a couple years ago. I could live without knowing, but... it doesn’t even make sense anymore.”

“So why didn’t you start it? Why didn’t you tell her the first time you ever thought about it?”

Adrien stares off in the distance, to where Ladybug had disappeared. 

“I guess I’m afraid to lose her just because I’m myself.”

“Adrien, that’s--”

“Stupid,” Adrien scoffs, rubbing at the back of his neck, “I know. But it’s a risk I still have to consider.”

“But you know how much she cares for you. Today was obvious enough even for you to tell.”

Adrien takes in a deep breath, letting the cool air sting his nostrils. “And that’s why I’m waiting for her to make the first move.”

_Soon_. The word rings in his head like the most beautiful song. He caresses his cheek once more, the pads of his fingers tracing the left-behind trail of her lips. _I’ll be here_ , he thinks. _Waiting_. 

**Author's Note:**

> My ML blog is miraculeuxnoir, if you're into sterek hmu at redhoodedwolf, and for all else I'm localwolfgoesawoo. I'm everywhere.


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